Notes and Editorial Reviews

PLEASE NOTE: Stock on this title is currently sold out. We are awaiting word from the label as to whether more will become available.

Never before have all Arthur Rubinstein albums been available together like this. Arthur Rubinstein – The Complete Album Collection features all of the legendary pianist’s issued recordings made by RCA Victor between 1940 and 1976, plus one recording issued on the DECCA label in 1978. Also included in this set are the recordings Rubinstein made in England for the His Master’s Voice (HMV) label between 1928 and 1940. As a bonus, this special package also has the sensational world-premiere release of two Carnegie Hall concerts recorded on December 8 and 10, 1961.

ThisRead more collection contains:
142 CDs plus 2 LIMITED EDITION DVDs The complete studio and live recordings of solo, concerto and chamber music repertoire on RCA Red Seal in their best remasterings, using SACD and XRCD mastering sources
– All EMI recordings originally released on RCA
3 BONUS CDs with highlights from Rubinstein’s legendary 1961 Carnegie Hall recitals
– More than 3 hours of previously unreleased music
– Three Chopin works and a Debussy work new to Rubinstein’s discography
– First-ever release of a whole Chopin collection
2 BONUS DVDs which include:
– Rubinstein Remembered, a documentary tracing the great pianist’s life
– The Benefit Recital for Israel, from 1975
164-PAGE FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER BOOK with:
– New liner notes by Rubinstein biographer Harvey Sachs
– Essay by John Rubinstein
– Photos shot and selected by Eva Rubinstein
– Essay on Rubinstein’s 1961 Carnegie Hall recitals
– Complete discography in alphabetical and chronological order, featuring 78s, 45s and LPs
– Track listings with complete discographical notes

R E V I E W:

Arthur Rubinstein’s 82 years before the public comprised one of the longest and most fulfilling piano careers in history. He adored giving concerts, and audiences in turn responded to the communicative immediacy and emotional balance governing the pianist’s red-blooded and generous approach to music making. Rubinstein also loved to make recordings, and he left behind a considerable discography that basically began in 1928 and ended during the 89-year-old veteran’s final concert season in 1976. You consistently notice his robust, singing tone and rhythmic backbone, without any trace of artifice or exaggeration. That said, Rubinstein’s shellac and mono LP efforts often prove more vibrant and spontaneous (albeit cavalier at times) in contrast to his more carefully considered, textually conscientious, and technically polished studio sessions from the 1960s and 1970s.

To anticipate the 125th anniversary of Rubinstein’s birth in 2012, Sony/BMG has brought out The Complete Album Collection, a comprehensive edition of Rubinstein’s entire recorded output for RCA Victor. It also includes his HMV sessions (many of which were issued by RCA in the United States), the 1976 Brahms D minor concerto released by Decca, plus all of the previously unpublished and bonus material that first appeared in RCA’s similarly scaled 1999 Rubinstein Collection. As a bonus, The Complete Album Collection offers two DVDs, a 1975 Pasadena recital newly titled “The Benefit Concerto for Israel”, and “Rubinstein Remembered”, a Peter Rosen documentary, plus three CDs devoted to previously unpublished material from Rubinstein¹s historic 1961 Carnegie Hall recital series.

This collection is similar to Sony/BMG’s Heifetz Complete Album Collection in that common sense and logic govern the label’s “original jacket” program conception. Individual volumes are sequentially organized by original LP release date, packaged in facsimile jackets that replicate the original LP cover art. The first 14 CDs present all of Rubinstein¹s shellac recordings not released on LP by RCA in more-or-less chronological order. A large hardcover book contains a table of contents that provides full discographical information for each volume, along with two discographies respectively listed by composer and recording dates. In addition, the book contains many unpublished photographs, a loving and frank memoir by Rubinstein¹s musician/actor son John (the same one that appeared in the 1999 Rubinstein Edition), an essay by Rubinstein biographer Harvey Sachs, a clear and cogent overview of the collection and how it was put together written by producer Robert Russ, plus a note from Jon Samuels discussing the newly unearthed Carnegie Hall material.

According to Russ, each item’s most recently remastered edition in the Sony/BMG catalog provides the basis for the present set’s sonic upgrades. Generally speaking, the Complete Album Collection transfers’ heightened presence and definition proves more subtle than striking in relation to the 1999 Edition, and those who already own the latter need not replace it. However, Rubinstein acolytes will be curious about the previously unpublished Carnegie Hall material. In almost every case, the live selections boast greater animation, spontaneity, and verve than their relatively reigned in, note-accurate studio counterparts.

Selections otherwise unrepresented in Rubinstein’s discography will hold special interest, such as the magnificently played Debussy L’isle joyeuse and Scriabin Prelude for the Left Hand, and gorgeously projected renditions of Chopin’s Op. 25 No. 2 and Op. 10 No. 12 (“Revolutionary”) Etudes. At long last we get to hear the sole surviving account of Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrouchka played by its dedicatee. By all accounts, Rubinstein was reluctant to commit his interpretation to disc due to his numerous textual changes and simplifications. Moreover, his playing is far from note perfect, although the performance gains accuracy and assurance as it progresses. Yet Rubinstein’s unerring sense of character and dramatic momentum come across through perfectly judged transitions and dynamic scaling, and he truly inhabits the music.

Certain Rubinstein recordings retain reference status to this day, such as the stereo Chopin Waltzes and French Collection, Beethoven¹s Third Concerto with Erich Leinsdorf, and the stereo Brahms F minor sonata. Yet some of the collection’s finest performances have been overlooked and undervalued. For example, the 1956 Beethoven Emperor Concerto with Josef Krips abounds with virility and freshly conceived phrasings that Rubinstein’s more “stylistically aware” remakes don’t quite match, while the earlier, quicker, more conversationally conceived late Brahms traversals prove equally disarming. The live Carnegie Hall Schumann Arabesque is all heartfelt song, and easily surpasses Rubinstein’s three studio attempts.

Even in a catalog packed with great recorded Chopin Barcarolles, Rubinstein’s expansive ritards in the coda underline the music’s tenderness and harmonic tension more movingly than anyone else, especially in the live 1964 Moscow concert. The Liszt E-flat concerto with Dorati shows off Rubinstein on particularly audacious form, as does his earlier HMV rendition of his namesake Anton Rubinstein’s Valse Caprice. Although Rubinstein disparaged his 1946 Chopin Préludes as “not good enough”, I’m drawn to their angular, hard-hitting countenance, avoidance of surface charm, and lack of sentimentality.

And while Rubinstein admittedly bangs out the Beethoven Appassionata finale’s coda to the gallery in the aforementioned Israel benefit recital, what long-lined nobility and unhurried poise the 88-year-old master achieves in the Andante con moto! When the mono LP-era Chopin Mazurkas first gained reissue in 1999, I felt that they struck a happy medium between the more familiar HMV shellac set’s sprinting sparkle and the valedictory stereo remake’s breadth and repose. Still, all three versions significantly differ to the point where a clear-cut preference is difficult, even impossible to make.

In sum, Sony/BMG’s caring, meticulous, and practical production values do ample justice to Rubinstein’s recorded legacy. All serious piano collectors should consider treating themselves to this unique boxed set while it is available.

A Fine Rubinstein Tribute at an Affordable PriceJanuary 12, 2012By T. Drake (South Euclid, OH)See All My Reviews"The recordings of Arthur Rubinstein have been well treated on Compact Disc. Some of RCAs first CD issues of analogue recordings were devoted to Rubinstein, although the early remastering left much to be desired. (I worked at a classical record store on Clevelands Shaker Square when a Tchaikovsky/Grieg disc was issued. The manager said it would never sell because it originated as an analogue recording  in fact all our copies sold within two days.) Most of Rubinsteins stereo recordings have received multiple CD issues, a testament to the pianists continuing popularity with the public. The mono recordings have not had such broad distribution which has contributed to a distorted picture of the pianists legacy. RCAs Complete Rubinstein Collection, issued as an expensive box in 1999, gathered together all of Rubinsteins recordings for RCA, HMV/EMI, and a single recording he made for Decca/London  it also contained a two CD set of interviews and previously unissued recordings. Now we have this Original Album Collection. Contained herein is everything from the 1999 box, except for the 1964 Moscow recital, which is available elsewhere on CD and DVD. This set also includes three CDs of previously unpublished live recordings (more on those later)  making for a total of over 100 hours containing a huge swath of solo, concerto, and chamber repertoire  at a fraction of the price of the 1999 box. With the exception of a 78RPM disc made for the Polish Favorit label in 1910 (never transferred to a modern format), Rubinstein refused to record during the pre-electric era  he complained the old acoustic recording process made the piano sound like a banjo. So the earliest recording here was made when Rubinstein was already 41 years old. Its fascinating to trace Rubinsteins evolution as an interpreter over a 48 year period. In general, Rubinsteins earlier performances of shorter works, such as Chopin Mazurkas and Nocturnes, are freer and more imaginative than the later remakes. The younger Rubinstein also has greater control of pianissimo, which can clearly be heard even in the earliest recordings. Conversely, Rubinsteins sense of structure, particularly in larger scale works, improved with advancing years. The pianists stereo remakes of Beethovens Opp. 13, 31, No. 3, and 81a sonatas, Chopins Op. 35 sonata, and the Brahms Op. 5 sonata, are head and shoulders above the earlier versions. The flip side is that, by the 1960s, Rubinstein had become conscious of his role as an elder-statesman of the piano and that he was recording for posterity  resulting in a loss of spontaneity. Also, his recordings from the mid-1960s onward are increasingly marred by the lack of a true pianissimo in his playing  possibly a result of deteriorating hearing. Many of the pianists mid-period recordings, such as the Chopin Polonaises from 1951, marry the best of both worlds. We are doubly lucky that many of Rubinsteins best performed recordings (especially in concertos) were also made during RCAs Living Stereo era  when that companys recording engineers were putting out their best work. By the mid-1960s, RCAs engineers were experimenting with multiple-miking which marred his later concerto recordings, despite digital remastering Now to the newly issued material: These stem from the 1961 series of ten Carnegie Hall recitals given by Rubinstein (truly given, as he donated the entire proceeds to charity). Four works are new to Rubinsteins recorded repertoire: Fallas Dance of the Millers Wife; Debussys LIsle Joyeuse; Scriabins Nocturne for the Left Hand, and Stravinskys Petrouchka. The Scriabin is proof that Rubinsteins left-hand technique was secure, despite an inconsequential wrong note at the beginning. The Falla and Debussy have an orgiastic brio that allows one to forgive the many missing details. Performances like these must have led Harold Schonberg to write that Rubinstein played with the great pelvic thrust. The Stravinsky is most interesting, as it was written expressly for Rubinstein (with the pianists assistance) and the composer gave Rubinstein carte-blanche to make any changes he felt appropriate. The most significant change is that Rubinstein reinstates the drum-roll interludes between the three scenes. The Russian Dance starts out roughly, with several wrong notes and some unsteadiness, before settling down for the scene in Petrouchkas Room. In the Shrovetide Fair scene, Rubinstein throws caution to the wind and gives a full throttle, adrenaline fused performance  overwhelming in its savagery. This is the Rubinstein that music lovers over a certain age reminisce about  one never heard in the more cautious studio recordings. The remaining works have been recorded elsewhere by Rubinstein, but when performing live, the pianist was notably more flexible, poetic, and exciting than in the studio. The set also includes two DVDs: Rubinstein Remembered, a 1987 documentary hosted by the pianists son, John Rubinstein; and Recital for Israel  a 1975 performance at Ambassador College in Pasadena, California. There is also a CD only version of this recital, although the playing is far from Rubinsteins best and I have no doubt the pianist would be displeased by its release. This set uses the best existing transfers of each recording, which in most cases means the superb 1999 remasters by Jon Samuels. A few exceptions include SACD hybrid remasters of selected Living Stereo items. Of course, the three discs of new material are newly remastered, but the source material (monaural cassette tapes owned by John Rubinstein, and RCA tapes recorded using an AMPEX noise reduction curve that flattened Rubinsteins tone), is less than optimal. Still, these remain eminently listenable. The sound in the Ambassador College DVD has been sweetened and is more palatable than previous issues  though still far from ideal. Given the sheer amount of music in this set, the quality of the performances, the care devoted to remastering and documentation, and the price, I cant think of a better value on the market for Rubinstein fans  casual or devoted. Highest recommendation."Report Abuse

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